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Fortress
Fortress is a top-secret organization founded at March 30, 1854 with a secret accord between Great Britain, France, Prussia, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Its founder is a man named Henry James Temple, the 3rd Viscount of Palmerston, and the Prime Minister of Great Britain during 1856. It's founding members include John Russell, François Achille Bazaine, Çırpanlı Nadir Pasha, Alexander II and Sir James Simpson, as well as a few minor nobles. Purpose and Objectives It's primary and ultimate goal then and today is to maintain world stability and peace as well as preserve information and cultural heritage for the use and benefit of future generations. Though, this comes with several other sub-objectives, such as: # Counterterrorism # Nonproliferation of nuclear warheads and weapons of mass destruction # Ensuring the peaceful resolution to heavily disputed diplomatic, political or military issues Organizational Structure Fortress today has four major departments. * The Round Table * Intelligence Department * Literary Department * Scientific Department The Round Table This department is a small council of ten of the most experienced agents that oversees and manages Fortress, four of which come from the Intelligence Department, while three come from the Literary and Scientific Department, who usually jointly govern the respective departments they come from. They're the ones responsible for managing their finances, coming up with important, long-term decisions as well as resolving domestic disputes. Intelligence Department The Intelligence Department is composed of the agents themselves, collecting information, looking for recruits, as well as mission to protect people or cultural heritage from harm. They mainly operate under aliases as people on the upper echelons of society - billionaires, military, governors, etc. They also often (and anonymously) attempt to maintain friendly relations with other agencies, and often try to help them, as long as it coincides with their goals. Literary Department The Literary Department is in charge of preserving, repairing and creating copies of famous literary works to ensure that they can be passed on to generation from generation, they work jointly with the Scientific Department at times when it comes to scientific literary pieces and the like. Scientific Department The Scientific Department is in charge of preserving prior scientific language, as well as constantly creating their own. They're in charge of creating many of the tools the other two departments work with - weapons, writing materials, etc. History Early History Fortress spent most of its early history in the literary field, creating copies of books, preserving paintings, as well as creating accounts of notable events and biographies of notable figures in history. It was also during this time where its members started to train their spywork and espionage skills. For now, Fortress was more of a secret gathering rather than an organized agency. Most of their literary works include accounts of the Crimean War, The Scarlet Letter, The Black Tulip and David Copperfield. It was also during this time when Thomas Eakins and Jules Breton, as well as their trusted aristocrats joined Fortress. Emboldened by their growth, their missions would only gradually grow in size and organization. However, the stakes would only grow with it as well. Orsini Attempt Fortress' first notable espionage sortie was on January 14, 1858, when they broke up a spy network of Italian nationalists and British radicals to foil the attempted assassination on Napoleon III. Felice Orsini, the mastermind behind this conspiracy, was arrested and executed. A few days later, it was also found out that many members of Fortress had been involved in the conspiracy, and had financially supported the assassins. Henry James Temple would spend the following weeks rooting out these conspirators, with the last of them being disbanding on the date of Felice Orsini's assassination at March 13, 1858. It was after this event when Henry James Temple and François Achille Bazaine would spend time reforming the organization's training programme, ensuring loyalty and commitment to the group as well as honing their skills at espionage. It was also expected of trainees to keep strict confidentiality about the existence of this group, breaking strict confidentiality would result in the trainee, as well as his next of kin, being eliminated. Other Notable Events On February 4, 1859, Fortress discovers The Codex Sinaiticus in Egypt, and keeps it hidden for preservation. A day later, Alexander John Cuza joins Fortress as he unites Wallachia and Moldavia as the United Principalities. On February 17, 1859, Fortress foils an attempt on Giussepe Verdi as his opera, "Un Ballo in Maschera" premiers in Napoli. On April 30, 1859, Fortress creates and preserves a copy of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." They also duplicated and preserved Charles Darwins' "On the Origin of Species" on November 24. The American Civil War As 1860 came, Fortress had now become a large spy network, stretching all through-out Europe, they had been able to secure a relative state of peace through some genius politicking with their new members, particularly Otto von Bismarck and Abraham Lincoln. However, on April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began, and Fortress was bound to get involved. It committed most of its resources to shortening the war as much as possible, with mixed success. Many of their members were officers, most of them getting killed in Gettysburg and Fredericksburg. It was around this time when George Meade and Henry Halleck joined Fortress. However, their deaths were not in vain. Much to Abraham Lincoln's, and Fortress' relief, on May 19, 1895, the war ended in a Union victory. And as Abraham Lincoln turned his attention to stabilizing the USA, Fortress turned its attentions to not let such a war engulf Europe. Unification As Otto von Bismarck annexed Schleswig-Holstine and Alsace-Lorraine, Fortress started to grow wearier of Bismarck's actions, seeing where this may lead them. However, one of their newest members, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, assured them that their plans wouldn't threaten the state of peace Europe is currently in right now. Succession On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Fortress didn't have much influence in America, and was unable to foil the assassination attempt. On October 18, 1865, Henry James Temple passed away, his last words being, "That's Article 98; now go on to the next." He was succeeded by William Gladstone. Other Notable Events On December 24, 1865, Fortress would be in a state of constant conflict with the Ku Klux Klan. Fortress would also contribute information as well as manpower to Otto von Bismarck during the Austro-Prussian War at 1866. They would also send resources to the defense of Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Idaho during the Indian Wars. The Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War started on July 19, 1870, with Fortress contributing information of French military movements to General Moltke and Otto von Bismarck. Thanks to the undeniable advantage in information, it was a relatively short war, ending in a decisive German victory on May 10, 1871, ending the Second French Empire, and giving birth to the Third French Republic, as well as the German Empire. Arthur O' Connor Even before the founding of Fortress, Queen Victoria was always a prime target for assassination. "Your lordships will excuse my interruption of this discussion. I have just been informed that a boy of eighteen or nineteen ran into the garden of Buckingham Palace as the Queen entered, followed the carriage to the door, which is at a short distance, and presented an old-fashioned pistol within a foot of her Majesty’s head." - Pall Mall Gazette On Friday, March 1, 1872, Fortress agents stopped Arthur O' Connor's assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. They weren't able to stop him from firing, but luckily, Queen Victoria was able to bowed her head, dodging the shot, and the boy was seized. On April 8, Arthur O' Connor was pleaded guilty with "Unlawfully presenting a pistol to the person of Our Lady, the Queen, with intent to alarm her." Literary Preservation The 1870s saw quite a fair amount of literary works preserved for Fortress. Including Lewis Carrols "Through the Looking Glass," Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll House" and Jules Verne's "Around the World in Eight Days". Many of Fortress' agents also cooperated with the Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs ''or "Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers" Fortress had also seen most of its members be responsible in the advance of technology - Alexander Graham Bell invented a prototype telephone in 1876. Thomas Edison invented the first version of the light bulb in 1879. Ludwig Boltzmann also statistically defined thermodynamic entropy. Fortress had also secretly sponsored the 1873 Weltausstelung in Vienna, the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and the 1878 Exposition universelle in Paris. They also made great use of the steam drill upon its invention. The Anglo-Zulu War On January 22, 1879, Lieutenant John Chard, one of Fortress' agents, led a small force of roughly 150 men to defend Rorke's Drift against a force of 3,000-4000 Zulus. Upon his success, he and 10 other men were given the Victoria Cross, along with numerous other decorations and honors. Notable Events The Fortress would continue to secretly provide financial support to rebuild the USA after its Civil War, until it was able to recover under Rutherford B. Hayes in 1877. Fortress agents also made great profits during The Gilded Age, bringing in much need funds for future work. The 1880s By 1880, Fortress was now an international organization, with agents and stations placed all around the world - From Washington D.C to Pyongyang and Beijing. This ushered in a golden age for Fortress, who foresaw a boost in performance and effectiveness from their scientific and literary departments. Fortress' Scientific Revolution On December 17, 1880, Thomas Edison would found the Edison Illuminating Company, receiving discreet financial backing from Fortress. Charles F. Brush and his company, the Brush Electric Light Company would install carbon arc lights along Broadway. The new Brooklyn Bridge of 1883 would also get carbon arc lights, and this would eventually spread all through Manhattan. On 1882, William Edward Ayrton and John Perry would invent an electric tricycle, with a range of around 10-25 miles. On 1883, Charles Fritts created the first solar cell, however, he was denounced as a fraud for generating power without consuming matter, thus violating the laws of physics. From around 1883-1886, John Joseph Montgomery started his attempts at early flight, creating the "first heavier-than-air human-carrying aircraft to achieve controlled piloted flight" in the western hemisphere. Paul Gottlieb Nipkow invented the Nipkow Disk on 1884. Roderick McLean At 4 o’clock on the afternoon of Thursday, 2 March 1882, the Queen left Buckingham Palace, driving in her carriage through Hyde Park to Paddington station to board her special train bound for Windsor. Despite the hail that fell, crowds gathered along the route to cheer the Queen as the train left the station. After an uneventful journey, the train arrived at Windsor but as the Queen was entering her carriage, a man in the station yard fired on her Majesty. He was seized at once by Fortress agents undercover as police officers. ''"In case an exaggerated report should reach you, I telegraph to say that, as I drove from the station here a man shot at the carriage, but fortunately hit no one. He was instantly arrested. I am nothing the worse." - Belfast News-Letter The culprit was a man named Roderick Mclean, a clerk who was out of employment and had been born in Oxford and had only spent a few days in Windsor. McLean was tried for high treason on April 19, 1882. Montague Williams, one of Fortress' agents, presented overwhelming evidence that Roderick McLean was a lunatic and was acquitted for insanity. He was detained during Her Majesty's pleasure. Other Notable Events On April 3, 1882, Bob Ford, one of Fortress' members, assassinates Jesse James, an infamous outlaw. Numerous raids were also carried out on the Ku Klux Klan. The end of Fortress' golden age was marked by the Yellow River flood at September of 1887, when a base in Huang He was completely destroyed, and its ruins almost revealed the organization's existence. Thankfully, any loose ends were covered up, and Fortress would remain a secret. The Literary Age By the 1890s, most wars were either minor or internal conflicts, and Bismarck had advised Fortress to avoid intervention for now, and to simply focus on building up resources and repairing the damage they suffered at the Yellow River flood, his foresight had told him that they would need them for the events to come. This gave plenty of time for Fortress' Literary Department to get to work. Many of the works they were able to preserve include: * Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1891. * Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes story in Strand Magazine in 1891. * Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening in 1891. * Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles in 1891. * Rudyard Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads in 1892. * Charlotte Perkins' The Yellow Wallpaper in 1892. * Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book in 1894. * Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" in 1894 * George H. Thomas published in 1894 the first illustrated song for The Little Lost Child. * H. G. Wells' The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), and The War of the Worlds (1898). H. G. Wells created modern science fiction with his book The War of the Worlds. * A. E. Housman's A Shropshire Lad in 1896. * Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897. * Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya in 1899. * Kate Chopin's The Awakening in 1899. * Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in 1899. The 1890s were relatively idle times for Fortress, mostly due to Bismarck's advice. Some were confused as to why his foresight was so important, some knew where he saw the clouds gather. Other Notable Events On May 19, 1898, William Gladstone passes away at Hawarden Castle. He is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt. On July 30, 1898, Otto von Bismarck passes away at Friedrichsruh. To mourn his death, all Fortress agents drank a shot of 1815 Napoleonic Brandy, which would turn into a Fortress tradition. Theodore Roosevelt reformed Fortress' recruitment programme to allow commoners to join as well, giving a boost to their manpower. The War of the Worlds The 20th century was a century of crisis for Fortress. Many of their skilled agents were lost in the wars and tragedies to come. The first one of these being the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassins were backed by a rogue contingent of Fortress agents. They lost a huge amount of agents trying to foil the assassination, which failed, and the resulting war would only drain their resources more. They particularly lost majority of their agents in the Battle of the Somme, as well as the Battle of Verdun. As 1916 ended, Fortress would stay away from intervening in the war any further, and focus on recovering from their losses as to save themselves from annihilation. As World War I ended, Fortress struggled along with the rest of the world to recover from The Great Depression. Many of its agents were hunted down for turning to banditry for an income after losing their jobs, and Fortress was in a constant state of decline. Even more, they were constantly targeted by the Abwehr, the new Nazi Germany's intelligence agency. Most of their members had turned to the Nazi ideology, and broke their oaths of confidentiality. They would constantly be fighting a defensive battle against the Abwehr as they attempted to recover from their financial struggles. The Second World War Finally, under the leadership of Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, they were able to regain their funds and put up a coherent defense against the Abwehr in the 1930s. Just in time to prepare themselves for the second World War. On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler would launch his plans for the invasion of Poland. Fortress' Polish contingents attempted to delay the German advance through partisan activity and acting as spies for the Polish army, but it wasn't enough. Poland would fall in a week. Again, Fortress would get involved. They had attempted to blunt German assaults during the invasion of Poland and France, but ultimately failed. Losing their home base along with Paris at 1940, and most of its agents evacuating to Dunkirk along with British and French forces. Many of Fortress' agents had also defected to the Abwehr, either wanting safety or profit, or believing in the Nazi ideology. Fortress would spend the entire war hunting down double agents, and breaking up spy networks in Allied countries. Many would slip through the cracks, however, and Fortress agents were unable to warn Franklin D. Roosevelt of the planned strike on Pearl Harbour. A day after Pearl Harbor, and much to Winston Churchill's relief, the USA would decide to join the war on the Allied side, including all of Fortress' US bases, they were now fully committed. The Final Years During 1944, Fortress was able to turn the tide against the Abwehr. Being able to launch numerous raids on the vast spy networks they were able to lay down in Britain and Africa. However, their most important mission came this year - To keep Operation Overlord a secret. Winston Churchill and Fortress wouldn't take any chances at an intelligence leak. Fortunately, in their greatest feat yet, Fortress managed to convince Nazi Germany that an invasion of Normandy was purely fictional. Emboldened by their success, Fortress launched an ambitious conspiracy to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944, code-named "Operation Valkyrie," and led by Claus von Stauffenberg. Unfortunately, they were unable to assassinate Hitler, and their military coup d'etat failed within five hours, with its conspirators and insurgents rounded up and executed. A large portion of Fortress' agents were also caught in the aftermath, resulting a large drain in manpower. However, neither Fortress nor the Allied powers were not deterred. They continued the war, until Soviet forces stormed Berlin on April 16, 1945 and Hiroshima became victim of the world's first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. Eventually, the Allied powers accepted the unconditional surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, officially ending the Second World War. Other Notable Events Theodore Roosevelt passed away on January 6, 1919. Succeeded by Winston Churchill. The 1950s Such as the rest of the world after WWII, Fortress would be in a constant state of development as they made sure to catch up on the world's technological development, while preventing a nuclear war between NATO and the USSR. They were able to maintain the fragile state of peace between these two factions through a mix of espionage, intrigue and politicking from their higher-profile members. Decolonization The 1950s was marked by the decline of colonial empires, which Fortress tried to halt. They intervened in the Algerian War, as well as the French-Indo-China War. However, their efforts were not enough, as Algeria won its independence in 1958, and the rival states of North and South Vietnam were formed in 1954. Cambodia and the Kingdom of Laos also won their independence, ending French influence in South-East Asia. The decolonization effort also spread through Africa - Libya, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia and Ghana won their independence. And on 1959, Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution. The Fortress had attempted to assassinate Fidel Castro, which ended in failure. The Cold War On July 25, 1950, the Korean War would break out, where the United Nations would fight North Korea, China and the USSR into a bloody stalemate. Fortress lost many agents during the war, either as soldiers or as spies. China's intelligence service (which even they do not know the name of) was constantly a step ahead of them. The Korean War would end on July 27, 1953 with the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. The Vietnam War would also begin in earnest in 1955, with the North Vietnamese Army supported by Soviet troops. Fortress would stay out of the war, having taken a heavy blow to their resources during the Korean War. After a bloody 19 years of fighting, the Vietnam War would end in a North Vietnamese Victory, with South Vietnam being annexed. Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo On November 1, 1950, two Puerto-Rican nationalists, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, staged an assassination attempt on US President Harry S. Truman on Blair House. The assassination was thwarted by Fortress, with Torresola being shot dead and Collazo sentenced to life imprisonment - However, it costed Fortress the life of Leslie Coffelt, one of their agents who shot Torresola before dying from his wounds. Other Notable Events Fortress secretly sponsors Charles H. Towne's Maser in 1953. Francis Crick and James Watson, two agents in Fortress' scientific department, discover the double-helix structure of DNA. Fortress sponsors a scientific project to culture the first human cervical cells in 1953. These are called HeLa cells, named after from their host - Henrietta Lacks. Nuclear Threats During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Fortress removed a network of Soviet nationalists who threatened to fire nuclear missiles at the US. The entire operation went off without a hitch, and they were able to eliminate any threats without any loose ends. The Space Race The Space Race within the United States and the USSR dominated the 1960s. Fortress was happy to see the advancement in space travel, but they committed resources to making sure that this rivalry didn't escalate out of hand. Crime Criminal activity was raising to unprecedented heights in the US for the 1960s, the Fortress contingents in the US would spend much of the decade attempting to reduce crime rate through arresting criminals and raiding criminal networks. They also set up rehabilitation centers for those who turned to drugs. Lee Harvey Oswald On November 22, 1963, Fortress agents in Dallas failed to track down Lee Harvey Oswald before he could shoot US President John F. Kennedy. Many of their agents died attempting to break up the spy network weeks prior to the assassination. Other Notable Events Fortress assassinates Inejiro Asanuma on October 12, 1960. Winston Churchill dies on January 24, 1965 - With no candidates for succession, Fortress is reformed to have a council composed of the most veteran members to manage the organization instead. John Patler assassinates the leader of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell on August 25, 1967. Fortress' War on Terror On the year of 1972, an agent died trying to stop a terrorist organization, Black September, from launching an attack on the 1972 Olympics in Munich. From that point on, Fortress would decide to independently launch their own campaign against terrorism, regularly launching raids on terrorist organizations such as the Red Brigades and the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Other Notable Events During 1977, Fortress fails to stop a military coup in Pakistan. Pax O Fortuna The 1980s-1990s marked a relative time of peace for Fortress, as their current council opt not to get involved in the few minor wars and conflicts. They focused on recovering from the costs of previous wars, as well as pursuing their campaign against terrorist organizations. Brighton Hotel Bombing On October 12, 1984, Fortress was able to thwart an assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher. A time bomb was planted in Brighton Hotel, and while Fortress agents were able to capture the perpetrators, they couldn't defuse the bomb in time. They lost two agents who tried to defuse the bomb, along with three civilian casualties. After finding out the perpetrators were part of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, they spent the rest of the month rooting out further double agents and anyone involved in their spy network. Fortress also sent financial support to The Grenadier Guards, so as to improve their skills as guardsmen in case of future assassination attempts. Other Notable Events On January 1, 1983, Fortress' scientific department was able to invent the internet! During the 1990s, Fortress contingents from all around the world started to communicate through the internet. The World's War on Terror On September 1, 2001, the World Trade Center would be hit by two planes, and result in their collapse. This was a heavy blow to the US as it was to Fortress, who lost most of their agents to the initial crash, and losing many more whom tried to save their loved ones, or those who tried to save others. After the incident, US President Bush would declare war on terrorism, and would receive support from Fortress. This would start the world's War on Terror, which would start the war in Afghanistan, as well as the Iraq War, both of which Fortress would participate in. On May 2, 2011, Fortress agents undercover as US Navy Seals infiltrated an Al-Qaeda base and assassinated Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. Around the same year, they also overthrew Saddam Hussein during the Iraq War. Features Method of Operation Fortress' ultimate goal is to keep the world secure and stable, as well as preserving information. They do this through either direct intervention or reporting under an alias to the appropriate authorities. The decision is up to the agent, and his decision is dependent on the situation. Traits such as devotion, commitment and flexibility are encouraged during missions, hence their motto - "Semper Fidelis," or "Always Faithful," based on the old USMC motto. Outside the field, Fortress has kept an old tradition of keeping their agents and staff proper, that means that during their training programme, along with espionage and spywork, they're also taught proper etiquette, morals, and polite mannerism. Training Programme Fortress' training programme has never remained constant, and has always been subject to change to adapt to the changing times. However, there are some features about it that have carried on since its early history: * The training programme requires trainees to adopt and take care of a puppy of a breed of their choosing. It should strictly always stay by their side at all times, and should grow with the trainee. It's meant to be the symbol of the trainees' growth. * The programme ensures that the trainees are able to work together, solve problems under pressure, make rapid decisions on the fly, and most importantly - Staying devoted and faithful to Fortress. * At the start of the training programme, trainees are required to swear an oath of strict confidentiality about the existence of Fortress. If broken, it will result in the trainee being eliminated, along with his next of kin. * The last scenario of the training programme requires the trainee to shoot the dog they've worked so hard to take care of. The gun they've been given is full of blanks, of course - This is to test the willingness of the trainee to shoot their friends and loved ones if it was in the best interests of Fortress. Uniforms While the only requirement for the modern Fortress agent's clothing is to look proper - There were dress codes back then, depending on which department one was in. The science department of Fortress had no official uniform, but would usually wear the same clothes as their espionage counterparts, and would change their attire if needed for experiments or if the occasion demanded so. The literary department has the same dress code as the espionage department. (12) 1850s Uniform.jpg|Fortress agent uniforms of the 1850s, there were several variations, but this was the general theme. (12.2) 1890s Uniform.jpg|Uniforms during the 1890s. (12.3) 1900s Uniform.png|Uniforms during the 1900s. Though, suits were preferred. (12.4) 2000s Uniform.jpg|Fortress agent uniforms during the early 2000s, there were several variations, as the dress code wasn't as specific this time. (12.5) Modern Uniform.jpg|The most preferred uniform of a modern Fortress agent, though there are also several variations of this. Extra Trivia * Fortress' scientific department has and monitors the "Doomsday Clock," a symbol of the probability of a self-triggered extinction event. * During the Despair Incident, several branches of Fortress had struggled to preserve famous literary and artworks, especially those from the Ancient and Medieval Era. Many were lost, but many were also saved. * Fortress' home base is a library located in Paris, named "Fort Literary." However, their networks worldwide vary according to nationality. ** Fortress' national base in Britain is a tailor shop. ** In Germany, it's a technology and engineering facility. ** In the US, it's a beer factory. * Fortress bears a different motto when it comes to their mannerisms - "Nobility isn't about being superior to others. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self." * The Literary Department has stored a collection of quotes from Fortress agents that were determined worthy of recording into their agency, as they greatly represent the values they uphold. A few examples are: ** "You have enemies? Good. That means you have stood up for something, in some time." - Winston Churchill ** "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, the worst thing is to have done nothing." - Theodore Roosevelt ** "I do not know with which weapons World War III will be fought with, but I do know that World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - Albert Einstein